DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPETENCY MATRIX IN A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRACTICE OF RATIONAL MEDICINE USE IN THE TREATMENT OF SYSTEMIC ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Abstract

Background: The use of medicines plays an important therapeutic role in the care of hypertension. Nonetheless, the inadequacies related to pharmacotherapy are still a major challenge to health, and the lack of systematisation of the competencies to be acquired during the training of health professionals undermines practices involving rational medicine use in the treatment of hypertension. This study was intended to develop and validate a competency matrix that can be used in the education and training of health professionals, contributing to the practice of rational medicine use (RMU) in the treatment of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). Methods: This is applied research containing an integrative review and exploratory research with the presence of a systematic search, following guidelines proposed by the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the PRISMA group, and the building of the competency matrix was carried out through a focus group with researchers who work in the area registered in two research groups certified by an agency linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Education. The matrix was validated using the Delphi method by expert judges selected using Fehring’s technique and scoring criteria. Results: The panel of experts reached a consensus on the relevance of four intrinsic dimensions containing seven competencies and 31 knowledge, skills and attitudes of the RMU in SAH and three extrinsic dimensions that encompassed nine competencies and 22 knowledge, skills and attitudes of the RMU in SAH, with a frequency of agreement greater than 80%.